ShareGift USA, a registered 501(c)(3) charity, collects minor, unwanted or dormant shareholdings held by individuals, aggregates them, sells them and gives the proceeds to charity. It literally accesses "found money" and puts it to good use. While the amounts of individual donations may be small, when aggregated across thousands or millions of donors, the results are substantial.

By aggregating share donations, ShareGift USA can process them more efficiently than individuals can do on their own. ShareGift USA's charitable option provides a novel way for individuals to donate their smaller shareholdings.

ShareGift USA donates the proceeds to charities which reflect the philanthropic patterns of generous Americans, focusing on education, health, human services, public society, the environment and international causes. Such charities include: Scholarship America, First Book, The American Heart Association, The American Cancer Society, ChildHelp USA, Make-A Wish Foundation, The National Council on the Aging, The Sierra Club Foundation, The Conservation Fund and CARE USA.

ShareGift USA has recently selected a new roster of charities including Teach for America, the Alzheimer's Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, Feeding America, Trust for Public Land and Room to Read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ShareGift USA benefits all who are involved:

The Shareholder: Shareholders often receive minor amounts of shareholdings in corporate transactions, or through dividends, inheritence or other means. Too often shareholders fail to sell or donate these small shareholdings because their ultimate value does not warrant the effort. Similarly, they often receive minor amounts of consideration in mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, or spin-offs. By giving these shares or cash to ShareGift USA, eligible donors will receive a tax deduction and be part of a collective giving effort, a new force in American philanthropy. ShareGift USA allows a wide range of individual donors to pool their gifts for greater impact.

The Corporation: Whether through mergers, acquisitions, tender offers or spin-offs, corporations generate odd lots of shares representing hundreds of millions of dollars. These holdings are often ignored by their owners: a recent survey showed that on average 48% of a corporation’s shareholders owned odd lots, but these accounted for only .05% of the shares voted at annual meetings. Because servicing these shareholders can be costly, corporations can incur significant expense in maintaining their registers of odd lot holders. ShareGift USA works with corporations to communicate with these individuals and encourage them to donate their holdings, thereby consolidating odd lot shares and reducing costs.

Importantly, corporations who participate in donation programs with ShareGift USA can help channel significant sums to charity at no cost to themselves.

ShareGift USA is pleased to announce that its share/cash donation option has been included in the documentation for the $40bb Merck-Schering-Plough merger and for the $10bb Fidelity National Information Services-Metavante Technologies, Inc. merger. Please see the Corporations or Information for Professional Advisors sections for links to the merger proxies and other information.

In addition, ShareGift USA has undertaken share donation programs with Comcast Corporation, The AXA Group, Morgan Stanley, Gannett Co., Inc., Reynolds American Inc., PepsiAmericas, Inc., Coventry Health Care, Inc. and Viad Corp. In each case, shareholders were given the option of donating their odd lot shares to charity through ShareGift USA, as well as having the customary options of selling their unwanted holdings or purchasing enough shares to obtain round lots. See the Corporations section for additional information.

The Charity: ShareGift USA literally accesses “found money” by releasing funds tied up in minor, unwanted or dormant shareholdings or by collecting minor amounts of cash received in corporate transactions. ShareGift USA selects charities to receive the proceeds of these donations, choosing well-known national organizations with demonstrated track records of success and high efficiency ratings. These charities represent the key areas of charitable giving in the US: education, health, human services, public society the environment and selected international causes.

ShareGift USA's only objective is to place as many funds into the hands of worthy charities as possible. Therefore, it will work with corporations to include on its roster charities of particular interest to them.

Creation of ShareGift USA
ShareGift USA, founded in 2004, was inspired by ShareGift, the share donation charity in the UK established in 1996 by Claire Mackintosh, (Viscountess Mackintosh of Halifax), a former pension fund manager, and Matthew Orr, a stockbroker. In the UK, ShareGift has collected millions of pounds for charity and has worked successfully with important UK corporations such as Vodafone, British Telecom, Barclays, BAA, Kingfisher and Marks & Spencer in increasing share donations among their shareholder base. In fact, nearly 50% of the FTSE 100 corporations have participated in share donation programs with ShareGift. Since inception, ShareGift has created and given millions of pounds to charities including the British Red Cross, Cancer Research UK, Save the Children, Help the Aged, and the Wildlife Trust.

ShareGift USA was founded with the guidance and cooperation of ShareGift in the UK. It is building on the work of ShareGift by providing a valuable service to individuals and corporations alike and contributing substantial sums to US charities.